Student Worker Manual

Learning Center Student Worker Manual

Mission Statement

The Glendale Community College Learning Center recognizes the complex needs of our diverse student population in both academic and occupational programs. In cooperation with faculty and staff, we support student success by encouraging a variety of learning strategies, elevating students’ confidence, and empowering students to achieve their highest potential.

Thank you for choosing to work as a tutor in the Learning Center. Peer tutors are an essential part of the many differentstudent serviceson campus. You have been hired for your excellent academic skills, as well as your potential to interact well with students. You will be trained in instructional and relational strategies that you can later take away as valuable job skills when you leave here.

In return, we expect you to contribute to a harmonious and professional work environment and enhance our mission of serving students. This manual includes the essential administrative procedures and workplace policies in the Learning Center. We expect you to read, learn, and follow what is described here. Please ask staff about anything you do not understand. A commitment on your part to doing this will ensure your success here.

The Learning Center provides an open and welcoming environment for students to use the resources and services that support study and learning. Conduct that interferes with the safe, peaceful, and orderly operation of the Center is not allowed. All students are expected to treat others respectfully and to follow rules and staff directions. In circumstances where these expectations are violated, the Learning Center reserves the right to restrict use and/or access to its services.

Below are general policies for students using our services. These are posted on the Learning Center website, and you should familiarize yourself with them, so you can better serve students. Please also review the Frequently Asked Questions section on the website, so you will be better able to assist students.

§ You must be currently enrolled at GCC. We do not provide tutoring for classes you are taking at another school or for classes in which you are not currently enrolled.

§ No food or drink is permitted in the Learning Center. Water is okay, but not in the computer lab.

§ Please turn off cell phones.

§ Students caught or suspected of violating Glendale Community College's Policy on Academic Honesty, as defined in the GCC catalog, will be asked to terminate their sessions - tutoring, computing, or studying - and their actions will be reported to their instructors.

§ The Learning Center's policy on children is guided by Board Policy 3825, which states the following: "Non student minors on campus are here at the risk of the supervising adult who brings them. Supervising adults are expected to maintain control of their minors to ensure they abide by the Standards of Student Conduct at all times while they are on campus. Both the minor and their supervising adult shall be subject to disciplinary action for any disruption of college services or activities. Unsupervised minors shall be detained by Campus Police until the supervising adult can be located."

§ The Learning Center does not provide tutoring for assessment tests. However, we do have a variety of online resources student can use to help prepare.

§ The Learning Center does not offer private tutoring services or provide tutoring for elementary or high school students. If you are seeking a private tutor, please contact our Job Placement Center (ext. 5194) and place an advertisement through them.

§ All tutoring appointments are 30 minutes in length and are limited to 2 appointments per week, per subject, on different days, unless arranged otherwise with staff members.

§Appointments will be held for 10 minutes, at which time we reserve the right to give your appointment to another student. If you are late and another student has not taken your appointment, you can still use the time remaining in your 30 minute session. Based on availability, you may be able to book another appointment on the same day, but students who have not had an appointment that day will receive priority.

§Sometimes we can extend your appointment if the tutor has an opening available. Please talk to a staff member before extending an appointment.

If a student schedules but does not attend a tutoring appointment, the following penalties will be assessed, regardless of justification, insofar as each no-show disrupts the operation of the Learning Center:

First No-Show: Student will receive a warning.

Second No-show: Student will receive a second warning.

Third No-Show: Student will not be allowed to schedule an appointment for a period of seven days from the date he or she is notified of the missed appointment.

Fourth No-Show: Student will not be allowed any more appointments for the rest of the semester and must wait until the next semesterin order to schedule tutoring appointments, at which time the student has a fresh start and the same series of ramifications as outlined above apply.

The information below is intended to guide you through a normal day in the Learning Center. More specific information about tutoring strategies will be covered in the Tutor Training Seminar that all new tutors are required to complete during their first semester of employment.

§ On a typical day, you will greet the staff member at the front desk as you enter, approximately 5-10 minutes before you are scheduled to start. Let front desk staff know you are here to tutor. This is especially important for the content tutors (i.e. biology, chemistry, economics) as staff may see you less regularly. Realize that staff may forget your names, be busy, and/or not see you very often, but we will try our best to greet you when you arrive. Checking in also helps staff match you up promptly with waiting students. Staff may also have messages or updates from your students, so it is important that you always stop by to let us know you have arrived.

§If you are a math or writing tutor, check the appointment calendar to see your scheduled appointments for the day. The calendar is located on the two computers outside Shant Shahoian’s office window. We advise that you make a practice of writing down the names and ID numbers of students scheduled for you. This information will be useful later when you complete documentation on the tutoring session.

§Laptops are available to you for use during your tutoring sessions or for tutoring-related work. Please talk to a staff member if you want to use a laptop. You are responsible for signing out the laptop and for returning it to a staff member at the end of your shift.

§After you have checked in at the front desk, grab your tutor folder which should include your timesheet, green no-show log, and your name sign. Find an open table and set up your name sign. You are now ready to begin your tutoring sessions.

§ At the beginning of your tutoring sessions, please ask students if they have a referral from their instructors, and encourage all students to obtain faculty referrals for tutoring.There are hard copies in the Learning Center, or faculty can submit these online. If a student says her instructor submitted a referral electronically, please ask a staff member to print the referral for you.

§Tutoring sessions currently operate on a 30 minute model. You must make a sincere and consistent effort to conclude your sessions on time, so you do not keep your other appointments waiting and have time to complete your required documentation. We realize 30-minute sessions can be a challenge at the beginning, but it will become easier with time and experience. If you are having difficulties managing your time, please consult with staff, so that we can assist you. Not managing your time well contributes to a variety of problems in work operations as well as the student’s learning experiences. Specific strategies for managing your time are discussed in the Tutor Training Seminar.

§ If you are a math or writing tutor and you do not have a tutoring appointment, please use your time wisely. For example, you could complete work for the Tutor Training Seminar, review printed and online tutoring materials, research new websites for inclusion on the Learning Center’s list of resources for students, and complete tutor logs or your no-show sheet. You are also welcome to study for your classes. However, while at work, remember that you are expected to always be available to students, so be prepared to stop what you are doing, and tutor students as needed.

§ At the end of each tutoring session, complete an online tutor log and have the tutee complete a student survey. Completion of tutor logs and student surveys is mandatory and must be completed on a daily basis. These logs and surveys are part of our state-mandated Student Learning Outcomes. We also use these logs and surveys to improve our services and the Tutor Training Seminar. If any of your appointments do not show up, please record them as a no-show on the green no-show log in your folder. Do not procrastinate on completing your tutor logs and no-show forms. Staff enter data from the sessions on a regular basis. If you are having difficulties completing your documentation for any reason, please discuss with staff immediately.

§Before you leave make sure your timesheet is complete and accurate. Incomplete timesheets will not be processed which will delay your payment. Be sure put your folder away and return your name sign.

Below is a list of workplace policies that staff have established for more efficient operations in the Learning Center. We have tested and adapted these over time, so we ask that you read this section thoroughly. If you have any questions, please see Andrew Stires.

With successful employment reviews, all tutors have the potential to remain employed for a cumulative maximum of four semesters (excluding summer and winter sessions) while enrolled in the college. After that time period, the Learning Center will open your position for other students. Tutoring in any portion of a semester will count as having worked a full semester. For example, if you start tutoring the fifth week of the semester, this will still count as having worked a full semester.

You are responsible for checking your GCC email and your folders regularly for important announcements and updates. We will not contact you through your personal email, so it is very important that you set up your GCC email, and make sure it is working properly. Remember that the college also sends important emails to your GCC email account, so it is best to get in the habit of checking it regularly.

You are required to be on time for your shifts on a daily basis. It is best to arrive 5-10 minutes early, so you can get situated. Please discus with staff any necessary permanent changes in your work availability as soon as you know.

Please call the Learning Center at extension 5333 if you are going to be absent from work. Ideally, you will do so as soon as you know you will be absent but at least 48 hours before your scheduled appointments, so we can reschedule your sessions. Also, if you are running late, please call to let us know you are on your way. LC Staff may also try to contact you to remind you of your work schedule in the event you are late.

Tutors who arrive late or call in at the last minute to notify us that they cannot make their shift create a huge inconvenience for students who are relying on tutors to be here to help them. As a result, we have a standing policy on absences and lateness.

Call the front desk immediately at extension 5333 if you are going to be absent. While we realize that emergencies arise, you must inform us of your absence at least 48 hours before your shift, so we can try to reschedule your appointments. An emergency is defined as the serious illness or death of a close family member, an illness corroborated by a physician, jury duty, or natural disasters (e.g. earthquake, flood, or fire).

Be aware that excessive absences due to emergencies, even when reported with 48 hours notice, will be recorded and penalties assessed at the discretion of the Lab Manager.

Listed below are the various penalties for missing your shift with less than 48 hours notice:

1st time: You will receive a verbal warning.

2nd time: You will receive a second verbal warning.

3rd time: You will receive a written warning.

4th time: You will not be allowed to work for one week.

5th time: You will be fired.

Please note, you will also not be allowed to make up missed hours when giving less than 48 hours notice.

Students come to the Learning Center for help, and when our tutors are late, students’ tutoring appointments are cut short. Obviously, this is unfair to the students.

You should to arrive to each tutoring appointment 5-10 minutes early, in order to check your schedule, collect your folder and name sign, and prepare for your sessions. Too many late arrivals will result in disciplinary action at the discretion of the Lab Manager.

Disputes, disagreements, and problems are possiblein any workplace. Conflict is only “bad” when it is unaddressed for too long. If you ever are having a conflict with a student or even a staff member that you cannot manage yourself, report to the Andrew Stires, so that it can be dealt with to everyone’s benefit. If a student is complaining about a staff member or situation on the front desk, it is also best to take yourself out of the middle by referring the student to the manager after your session. If the conflict is about scheduling or a policy about tutoring usage, let the front desk staff intervene first to try and resolve the situation.

In the event we cannot resolve issues amicably or to the satisfaction of all interested parties, the matter will be referred to Michael Ritterbrown (Dean of Instructional of Services).

The Learning Center does not provide private tutoring. All private tutoring on campus is handled through the Job Placement Center(San Rafael, Second Floor) where students and members of the community can place advertisements requesting private tutors. We do not provide students with referrals for private tutoring to you or anyone else, as it conflicts with our mission to provide a free service. Still, you may be approached for private tutoring by your students. Do not use your time in the Learning Center to arrange private tutoring appointments. You would be using public funds and a public space to conduct private business. This is illegal.

If a student who uses the Learning Center approaches you outside of the Center for private tutoring or “extra” unpaid help, you must report this to staff. Your name will not be used, but we need to intervene to inform the student of our policies to avoid possible conflicts of interest, so that it does not become a future problem for you or the Learning Center.

Remember to fill out your timesheet completely and accurately at the end of your tutoring shifts. Incomplete timesheets will not be processed, which will delay your payment. Click here to see a sample timesheetthat has been completed correctly. Please keep your timesheet in your folder at all times. If you have any questions at any time about your timesheet, please see Andrew Stires.

Most of you will not have a paid scheduled break, since we seldom schedule shifts that qualify for one, as specified by the college’s student worker policy. Of course, a break for purposes of a bathroom break is completely acceptable. Please let a staff member (and your student) know that you need to leave for a few minutes.

In the event that we do schedule you for a shift requiring breaks or lunch, the Learning Center complies with the standard student worker policy, and you will receive paid or unpaid breaks accordingly. Job Placement has established the following policies: A student who works a 4-6 hour shift is entitled to one 15 minute paid break per shift. Any student who works a 6-7 hour shift is entitled to one 15 minute paid break and one 30 minute unpaid meal break. A student working a 7-8 hour shift is entitled to two 15 minute paid breaks and one 30 minute unpaid meal break.

Students are not allowed to bring food and drink into the facility (water is okay). However, you may bring food for break or lunch, but you must eat it only in the designated area. We also have a refrigerator and microwave that you are welcome to use.

Noise is normal for what we do, but we need to also minimize distracting noise in a learning environment. Put your cell phone on “vibrate” as soon as you start your shift. Ask your student to do the same before you begin. Be aware of your voice volume. Some people’s voices rise when excited or involved, and some are just naturally loud. We simply ask that you be aware. If you and/or your student are being distracted by surrounding noise, please inform a staff member so we may intervene.

You are welcome to use the two computers outside Shant’s office, but be aware that you will be asked to move when other tutors need to check their schedules or complete tutor logs. Please do not use chat programs or visit sites such as YouTube, Facebook, etc. If you need to check your email, that’s fine, but do not spend hours doing this. Also, you should not be surfing the web while you are scheduled to work. If you need to use the internet for school related work, that is fine.

You are also welcome to use the printer, but please limit your use to 10 pages per day.

Tutors will not point out and correct every error within an essay; learning how to effectively edit and proofread is part of the students’ academic responsibility and learning process. Tutors will also direct students to writing resources such as handouts and online sites.

Students are given a contract to sign before their first tutoring session. Please familiarize yourself with this contract, so that you can refer to it if necessary during your tutoring sessions. More information can be found in the next section.

We provide tutoring for students in writing skills across the curriculum. In other words, writing tutoring is not limited to GCC students who are enrolled in English or ESL classes. Any GCC student enrolled in a class with a writing assignment is eligible to use the tutoring services. Tutoring is by appointment, and students are strongly encouraged to make appointments at least a day in advance. All appointments are 30 minutes in length and students are limited to 2 appointments per week on different days, unless arranged otherwise with staff members.

We also realize that some students have preferences that a tutor speak their native language OR that the tutor be a native English speaker. Unfortunately, we cannot always accommodate these requests. We will always try to assign students a qualified tutor, regardless of the tutor's native language.

When students first book an appointment, they are required to sign a contract detailing the type of help they will receive. Below is a copy of the Writing Center client contract.

Writing Center Client Contract

Welcome to the Writing Center. Our goal is to help you become a more independent, observant, and confident writer. To make you aware of our policies, we ask that you please read and sign this form.

In order to receive tutoring you must first get a referral from your instructor, counselor, or librarian.

The Writing Center is not a proofreading or editing service; tutors are not here to fixpapers or ensure that you receive a good grade. Please proofread your paper before working with a tutor.

Writing Center tutors stress that writing is a process with definite stages. Tutors can help you with the various stages of the writing process such as brainstorming, outlining, and paragraph development, but they cannot write the paper for you.

Tutors can point out patterns of errors within a paper, but they will not point out and correct all of the specific errors on the page; this is part of your responsibility. Be aware that appointments are 30 minutes in length, so if you have questions about grammar or punctuation, please mark several examples in your paper that you would like to discuss.

Further information about Writing Center policies can be found in our handouts, brochures, and on our website.

If you have any questions, please ask one of the Learning Center staff members.

While it is not your job to judge whether something is plagiarized or not, you will be responsible for raising this issue appropriately with students. Some students are aware they are plagiarizing; others or not. You will be trained in strategies for how to manage this situation in the Tutor Training Seminar.

If at any time you are continually observing or suspecting that a student may be plagiarizing, you should bring this to the attention of staff immediately, so we can handle it appropriately. Failure to do this may result in your being implicated if plagiarism is discovered.

The Writing Center provides tutorial assistance to enrolled GCC students who are composing college admissions or scholarship essays. During these tutoring sessions, tutors must abide by the standards and guidelines set forth during their tutor training; as such tutors may not proofread, complete, correct, or edit these essays. Tutors may simply suggest organizational strategies and structural changes; alert students of chronic grammatical, mechanical, and syntactical errors; and help students understand how to correct their own mistakes.

The Learning Center offers math tutoring by appointment. The common goal of all the tutors is to help students become a more confident, independent learner. Students should be actively involved in their tutoring sessions. You are not here to do students’ homework for them; you are here to help students learn how to identify and address certain difficulties they may be having in their math classes.

Students must be enrolled in a math course at GCC to receive tutoring. All students must first obtain a referral from their instructor, counselor, or librarian in order to receive tutoring. We do not provide tutoring for the GCC math placement tests.

All appointments are 30 minutes, and students may schedule two appointments per week on different days. Drop-in tutoring may also be available when math tutors do not have appointments scheduled.

When students first book an appointment, they are required to sign a contract detailing the type of help they will receive. Below is a copy of the math tutoring client contract.

Math Tutoring Client Contract

Welcome to the Learning Center. Our goal is to help you become a more independent, and confident student. To make you aware of our math tutoring policies, we ask that you please read and sign this form.

In order to receive tutoring you must first get a referral from your instructor, counselor, or librarian.

Before working with a math tutor, you should have tried to do your homework on your own. Tutors will discuss problems similar to the ones with which you are having trouble, but they cannot help you with all of your homework problems. For example, if your teacher has assigned odd numbered problems, a tutor will discuss even numbered problems, so that you learn how to apply those concepts to your homework.

Please do not ask tutors to explain entire chapters to you. It is your responsibility as a student to go to class and attend your teacher’s office hours. Math videotapes are available if you need to review a chapter.

Be aware that appointments are 30 minutes in length, so you should be prepared to ask specific questions, realizing that tutors will not be able to address all of the various concerns you might have.

Further information about math tutoring policies can be found in our handouts, brochures, and on our website.

If you have any questions, please ask one of the Learning Center staff members.

The Learning Center offers tutoring in a variety of subjects provided tutors are available. Students must be enrolled in the classes for which they receive tutoring. All appointments are 30 minutes in length and are limited to 2 appointments per week on different days, unless arranged otherwise with a staff member.

Other subject tutors work on an on-call basis. Students needing tutoring will email you using your GCC email address. Be sure to check your email several times each day, and always respond to students even if you are unable to arrange a time to tutor them.

When you have confirmed an appointment with a student, email the appointment details to both Sevada Avakian (savakian@glendale.edu) and Andrew Stires (astires@glendale.edu). Include the following information: